Chapter 405: Contract, Authority

The Grand Narukami Shrine on Mount Yougou is an organization that has existed for thousands of years. What most people today don't know is that five hundred years ago, the shrine held a transcendent status, surpassing even the Tri-Commission. This was largely due to the fact that the Guuji at the time, Lady Saiguu, was the Raiden Shogun's closest friend. When Raiden Ei left for Khaenri'ah during Inazuma's great calamity, she entrusted the responsibilities of Inazuma to Lady Saiguu, a testament to their close relationship.

But alas...

Five hundred years is enough to change many things.

Over the generations, the Grand Narukami Shrine has become, in the eyes of the people of Inazuma, simply a place where shrine maidens reside. If one encounters evil spirits or malevolent forces, they would make the arduous journey to Mount Yougou to seek the help of the shrine maidens. To them, the shrine is just an ordinary institution.

If it were five hundred years ago, the problems Inazuma faces today would never have arisen.

But Inazuma cannot return to the way it was five hundred years ago.

Setting down the book in his hands, Li Mo reflected on the ancient texts he had been reading from the shrine's archives. Since returning to the Grand Narukami Shrine, Li Mo had spent little time outside, dedicating most of his attention to studying the Gnosis. However, outside of that, he had also been poring over the shrine's vast collection of books.

—The books in the Grand Narukami Shrine were disorganized but complete. This was thanks to the current Guuji, who, despite her lack of interest in organizing the archives, had ensured their preservation and maintenance.

But recalling the headache he had endured the last time he tried to organize the archives... it was clear that Yae Miko's priorities lay elsewhere.

"Alright, everyone, take a break for now. Kano Nana, stay behind for a moment. I haven't found Sayu's location yet."

Li Mo wasn't the only one going through the archives. He had enlisted the help of several shrine maidens. Through this process, he had learned a great deal about the history of the Grand Narukami Shrine.

But understanding the shrine's past wasn't his primary goal.

For someone in their twenties, five hundred years was an unimaginably long time. Even though he had become a long-lived being, the passage of such a vast amount of time still felt overwhelming.

Helping Kano Nana locate Sayu was a simpler task. Earlier, Li Mo had placed a mark on Sayu using his magical energy. The mark was incredibly subtle, far beyond the detection capabilities of a ninja like Sayu, who wielded a claymore.

Later, Li Mo made his way to the Sacred Sakura.

It had been some time since they returned to the Grand Narukami Shrine from Yashiori Island.

Li Mo had been deeply engrossed in his research on the Gnosis.

For the Archons, the Gnosis was little more than a trinket, an accessory of little importance. They became gods not because they possessed a Gnosis, but because they were gods, and thus they were granted a Gnosis.

The order of cause and effect couldn't be reversed.

But the Gnosis held immense power. In the original storyline, Scaramouche, with the help of the Akademiya in Sumeru, had used the Raiden Shogun's Gnosis to ascend to godhood. This proved that the Gnosis could elevate someone to the level of a god.

Li Mo had no intention of devouring the Gnosis—at least not yet.

But his research never stopped. The reason he had taken a break from studying the Gnosis to delve into the shrine's archives was simple.

He needed to find a document, or rather, a contract, from five hundred years ago.

"Do you really think that thing still exists, Yae?" Li Mo asked, finding Yae Miko beneath the Sacred Sakura.

He had spent several days searching for it but had found no trace. Five hundred years was enough to erase many things. What if it was gone?

Yae Miko waved her hand dismissively. "Little guy, don't rush. We'll find it eventually. Five hundred years ago, I thought that thing might be useful in the future, so I took special care to preserve it. It should last for a thousand years. I can still sense its scent on the books. It's just... I don't remember exactly where in the room it is."

Li Mo sighed. Given the item's particularity, Yae Miko had taken special measures to preserve it five hundred years ago. It even had a distinct scent, but after so long, the entire room smelled the same.

In the end, it still required a painstaking search.

Li Mo said, "Actually, I could still go to Tenshukaku without that thing."

"Little guy, if we have it, the Shogun will feel guilty afterward. Then we can look down on her and point fingers. Don't you want to do that?" Yae Miko said in a tempting tone.

Li Mo replied, "I think *you* want to do that... Anyway, I still need some time to finish researching the Gnosis. I haven't even examined the Statue of the Omnipresent God in person yet."

The concept of the "Musou no Hitotachi of Inazuma" had already taken shape in Li Mo's mind. He was genuinely looking forward to seeing the Raiden Shogun's reaction. Yae Miko also supported this idea, curious about how the Shogun would respond.

Despite being close friends, Yae Miko seemed to enjoy the idea of the Shogun making a mistake. She had a bit of a mischievous streak, likely stemming from her frustration with Raiden Ei's self-imposed isolation.

Sitting with Yae Miko and sipping tea, Li Mo passed the time before dinner. This had become his routine in recent days, though they would occasionally move to a different spot when worshippers arrived.

However, surprises always happen.

Kuki Shinobu appeared before them, holding what looked like a scroll in her hands.

She approached the two.

"Guuji, Priest, I've found what you were looking for."

"Oh? You found it? But little guy, you were just complaining to me about not finding it," Yae Miko said with a smile.

Li Mo remained calm. "When did you find it?"

"Shortly after you left, Priest."

Silence.

Li Mo didn't know what to say. He had dismissed the shrine maidens before leaving, but they usually continued searching for a while before stopping for dinner.

This period wasn't usually long, but fate had a way of being coincidental.

After storing the item, Kuki Shinobu left. The two of them were left to examine the scroll.

The paper had yellowed with age, but despite being ordinary paper, it had been preserved remarkably well. The black ink on it was still clearly visible.

Yae Miko looked at the handwriting and said, "This is it. This is what Lady Saiguu wrote on behalf of the Shogun."

Li Mo took the scroll and said, "It's incredible that something from five hundred years ago has survived until now. What were you thinking when you decided to preserve this?"

"Hmm... Maybe I thought that one day I could use it to shirk my duties as Guuji? Lady Saiguu said being Guuji meant I could eat all the fried tofu I wanted, but she never mentioned how much work it would involve."

Li Mo ignored Yae Miko's usual complaints. He had heard them many times before.

His attention was entirely focused on the scroll.

It contained the Raiden Shogun's authorization for the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine to exercise the Shogun's authority.

Yes, that's right.

This was the permission for the "Shogun's Special Training"—the authority to act first and report later.